Coupling protector



July 1, 1941.

I P. R. TURNER ,564

' COUPLING PROTECTOR Filed July 18, 1938 l: ii

Patented July 1, 1941 UNITED STATES RATENT OFFICE COUPLING PROTECTOR Percy R. Turner, Fort Worth, Tex. Application July 18, 1938, Serial No. 219,868

2 Claims.

This invention relates to pump rod coupling protectors and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will reduce to a minimum wear both on a coupler employed for joining sections of a pump rod and the well casing and is so constructed as to permit substantially free flow of liquid past the same and the coupler.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing a coupler equipped with the present invention and located in a well casing.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing how the present invention exposes the wrench engaging faces of the coupler.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the coupler with the present invention adapted thereto and joining sections of a pump rod.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I indicates a well casing, 2 the sections of a pump rod and 3 a coupler for detachably connecting the sections having wrench engaging faces 4. The detail construction of the coupler is immaterial as far as the present invention is concerned.

Surrounding the coupler 3 is a protector 5 preferably made from a bearing metal which will wear more rapidly than the metal from which the well casing is constructed. The protector includes cylindrical parts 6 joined together by opposed portions 1 integral therewith. The cylindrical portions surround the coupler above and below the wrench engaging faces 4 and being joined together by the portions 1 permit the wrench engaging faces 4 to be exposed so that a wrench can be adapted to the coupler for applying and removing the latter from the sections 2 of the pump rod. The upper end of one of the cylindrical portions is beveled and the lower end of the other cylindrical portion is beveled to prevent the protector from catching into objects during the reciprocation of the pump rod. The external diameter of the cylindrical portions is greater than any external portion of the coupler of the pump rod so that during the reciprccation of the pump rod any lateral movement thereof would bring the protector in wiping contact with the walls of the casing and as the protector will wear more rapidly than the well casing the latter is therefore protected from wear by any drag of the protector thereon.

The cylindrical portions of the protector have formed therein converging grooves 8. The grooves 8 of each cylindrical portion are adapted to communicate with each other and open outwardly through opposite ends. The grooves of the cylindrical portions coact in permitting a substantially free flow of fluid past the protector and the coupler. Also, due to the substantial spiral pitch of said grooves they will when contacting the liquid during the lowering of the pump rod in a well tend to prevent rotation of the coupler and consequently eliminate to some extent possibility of the coupler unthreading and freeing the pump sections during this operation.

The protector may be molded on the coupler or if desired may be secured thereon in some other way so as not to have relative movement with relation to the coupler. The spiral grooves have a tendency to break the sudden drop of the rods in lowering the pump which very often causes a breakage and a sudden jerk,

What is claimed is:

1. A protector comprising a body to encase a pump rod coupler and having cutout portions to expose wrench engaging faces of the coupler and of a material to assume wear when engaged by an object to relieve said object of wear and to prevent the coupler from coming in contact with the object, said body having grooves extending from end to end through which liquid may flow, said grooves having a spiral pitch thereto, said body including upper and lower cylindrical portions connected by integral spaced members exposing said wrench engaging faces, said grooves extending through the ends of the cylindrical portions and the grooves of one cylindrical portion terminating adjacent the grooves of the other cylindrical portion.

2. A protector comprising a substantially cylindrical-shaped body to encase a pump rod coupler, said body having opposed ends of conical formation, opposed sides of the intermediate portion of said body having cut out portions to provide wrench-engaging faces for the coupler, the other opposed sides of said body p esenting web portions for uniting said upper and lower conical ends, and each end portion having spiral pitch grooves extending from one end to the cut out portion whereby the grooves of one end will terminate adjacent the grooves of the other end.

PERCY R. TURNER. 

